A prior method of making automotive parts, such as headliners, includes positioning a batt of fibrous material in a mold, thermoforming the batt, and trimming the batt to form the headliner. Such a method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,832 to Weinle et al. Because the batt typically has a uniform composition and thickness, it is difficult to vary properties, such as density, strength and sound absorptivity, at different points around the headliner. Furthermore, because the headliner typically requires numerous cutouts for such things as a sunroof, sunvisors, pillars and dome lights, this method results in significant offal, or excess material that is usually discarded.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,796 discloses another method of making a headliner which includes spraying a layer of foamable material, such as liquid polyurethane, on a cover layer. The foamable material is permitted to free-rise or expand so that it has a generally constant density throughout. Consequently, this method is not useful to produce a headliner having different densities at different locations on the headliner. Furthermore, because the foamable material has a uniform composition, it is difficult to provide a headliner with multiple and distinct features, such as high strength reinforcing zones and resilient energy management zones.